Skunkhour Announce ‘Up To Our Necks In It’ 30th Anniversary Australian Tour
Aussie funk heroes Skunkhour are celebrating 30 years since the release of their iconic single, ‘Up To Our Necks In It’.
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It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 30 years since Skunkhour released their iconic single, ‘Up To Our Necks In It’.
Released in 1995, the song catapulted Skunkhour from an emerging funk rock act to international stardom. An absorbing, soulful arrangement taken from the band’s sophomore album Feed, which peaked at #21 on the ARIA Album Chart, ‘Up To Out Necks In It’ also charted in triple j’s Hottest 100.
“‘Up To Our Necks’ is a fairly unique track,” the band shares. “It was very different to the heavier, darker sound we went for on Feed, our second album, and for us in general. It crossed a lot of boundaries and markets for us. It got played on triple j, ABC, commercial FM and community radio. All of that was pretty rare for any band back then let alone a funk, rock, Oz hip hop indie band in the mid 90s.”
Becoming somewhat of a cult hit before exploding on commercial radio, the origin story behind ‘Up To Our Necks In It’ was a truly organic affair, stemming from a literal dream before evolving naturally into the magnetic end result, as the band reveal, “our guitarist Warwick Scott woke up from a dream one morning and that signature riff, chords an all was stuck in his head. He brought it to rehearsal and the band started jamming on it. The vibe of it reminded me of a poem I’d written a couple of years prior. It just had this melancholic and introspective feel to the chords and groove. I seem to remember the chorus and Aya’s verse melody, and lyrics coming together right away too.”
To celebrate ‘Up To Our Necks In It’, Skunkhour are embarking on an eight-date tour across the country, performing tracks from their extensive catalogue of albums and singles.
The Up To Our Necks In It (For 30 Years) tour begins in Woy Woy at Everglades on Friday 24 October and continues with dates at Newcastle’s King Street Bandroom (Saturday 25 October), Byron Bay’s The Northern (Thursday 30 October), Burleigh Heads Burleigh Heads Hotel (Friday 31 October), Brisbane’s The Trifiid (Saturday 1 November), Frankston’s Pelly Bar (Thursday 13 November) and Melbourne’s Corner Hotel (Friday 14 November) before warpping things up in Adelaide at The Gov on Saturday 15 November.
Tickets for all shows are on sale now via skunkhour.com.au.
Skunkhour have been a force in the Aussie music scene for close to 35 years. While they have gone on hiatus several times and changed lineups over the journey, they remain stalwarts of the local scene. They’ve released four studio albums, three of which charted on the AIRA Album Chart, shared five EPs and toured the globe multiple times.
Speaking on their sustained success, the band put it down to their music standing the test of time. “I think that’s why the music we wrote 30 years ago still stacks up and why we have such a loyal following,” the band shares. “And we now have younger generations coming to our shows now who appreciate the mix. It’s a total blast.”
The band adds, “We’ve been through our trials and tribulations like anyone or group of a certain age (cough, cough). Most of us had or have side projects and careers in other fields. Aya lived and gigged in LA for a number of years in the late 2000s.
“When we reformed around 2010, the original keyboardist Paul Searles was living overseas, so we brought in the legendary Al Goodman who has been with us ever since. Then in 2022 our drummer Michael Sutherland (who started the band with Dean and Warwick) left, and we brought in Carlos Adura. He plays with The Strides, Tim Finn and The Beautiful Girls. Both he and Al have been a perfect fit in every way. They’ve really helped rejuvenate the spirit and brought back a heavier emphasis on the soul funk groove side of our sound. Which has meant that our live shows are more dynamic and powerful than ever.”
What can punters look forward to on Skunkhour’s upcoming Aussie tour?
“Fans can expect plenty of energy and good vibes,” the band shares about the upcoming tour, “with an emphasis on the more well known, dynamic funky side of our catalogue, sprinkled with some reworks, a few of our own faves, as well as some of the recent releases from the past couple of years.”
“We played a run of regional show last year which was a lot of fun and we were amazed by the turnout and reaction. People in those areas seem to really appreciate you coming to their towns and seem a little less self-conscious so the vibe was awesome. It actually reminded us of the early days of touring when you turn up to a place with no idea what to expect and it almost feels like a party ‘cause everyone kind of knows each other or are connected in some way.”
Catch Skunkhour at The Gov on Saturday 15 November. Tickets on sale now via oztix.com.au.
Skunkhour Up To Our Next In It (For 30 Years) Australian Tour Dates
Friday 24 October – Everglades, Woy Woy, NSW 18+
Saturday 25 October – King Street Bandroom, Newcastle, NSW All Ages
Thursday 30 October – The Northern, Byron Bay, NSW 18+
Friday 31 October – Burleigh Town Hotel, Burleigh Heads, QLD 18+
Saturday 1 November – The Triffid, Brisbane, QLD 18+
Thursday 13 November – Pelly Bar, Frankston, VIC 18+
Friday 14 November – Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC 18+
Saturday 15 November – The Gov, Adelaide, SA 18+
